Smile, It's the End of the World
by T. F. Crosby
Summary: The wacky, weird and occasionally, maybe, poignant return in a brand new, as if there's any other kind, series. Watch Atmos' weirdness unfold before your eyes, maybe even ears. Now Playing: Annette
1. In Agreement

_**Storm Hawks: Smile, It's the End of the World** is brought to you by..._**Merb Soap**..._**Merb Soap-**keeping Merbs clean and refreshed for over fifty years. Now available in the new powder fresh scent._

**In Agreement**

He had been staring at the puzzle for two hours, his pencil hovering over it. Much in the way he liked to hover over Piper. He swore up and down that the numbers that were already there were mocking him.

"You are goin' down," he hissed at the puzzle in front of him. "Down, down, down…."

He cackled.

"I will win." He paused, looking around the room like a hummingbird on crack. "Oh, yes…YOU WILL PERISH!"

He began to scribble random numbers in every empty space, cackling. "You're goin' down, puzzle…."

Finn threw his pencil into the air. "SUDOKU MAKES MY BRAIN HURT!"

The others stood near the door, watching him.

"Mindworms," Stork said. "Or possibly Hyberian Synapsis Poisoning."

Aerrow stared at Finn. "Yeah…I'm beginning to agree with Stork."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Mindworms or Hyberian Synapsis Poisoning?"

"What's the difference?"

_i agreed with stork a long time ago_

Really, what is the difference?

Yes, people, a new series has arisen. I have no clue how this one's gonna go. This one probably won't be all humor. But then again...what do I know. Hope this one lives up to its predecessors.


	2. Pete And RePete Were In A Boat

_Blink once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'._

**Pete and Re-Pete Were In a Boat**

Only because they had nothing better to do, the Storm Hawks took Ace up on his suggestion to visit Terra Attica's cultural museum.

As they approached the museum's entrance, Rowan had a sinking feeling that he was about to experience déjà vu—or something like it.

They hadn't been in there ten minutes when Ace disappeared.

Rowan sighed. "I'll be right back."

He walked over to the information desk. But Ace wasn't there.

"Huh." He walked up to the desk. "Excuse me?"

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"Do you know where my friend is?"

"Can you describe him?" the man asked.

"Yes," the Sky Knight replied.

There was silence.

"Well?" the man said.

"Well what?"

"Describe your friend."

"Why?"

"Because I need information."

"You're the one working the information desk. Shouldn't _you_ be giving _me_ information?"

The man stared at him.

The rest of the Storm Hawks watched in amusement as Ace walked up to Rowan, chiming in. "Do fish hold grudges?"

Luke grinned. "Pete and Re-Pete were in a boat…."

Naysa smirked. "Oh, yeah. Ace is rubbing off on him."

_it was bound to happen_

Acey-boy is back.

This went in a direction other than what I intended. It definitely came out better.


	3. Payback

_Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles ROCK your WHOLE mouth!_

**Payback**

"This is a bad idea," Stork said as the squad traipsed through the swamplands.

Aerrow rolled his eyes. "Stork…."

"I agree with Stork," Piper said. "I don't trust him."

"I keep telling you," Aerrow replied, "Hamish is harmless. Besides, we need a guide and he's the only one who'll help us."

Finn smirked and whispered to the Sky Knight. "I think he means it's a bad idea for you."

Aerrow grimaced.

Junko was up ahead with Hamish. "So where is this crystal?" he asked.

"It's not much further," Hamish replied. _Nope, not much further, at all. _He glanced back. Aerrow was in back of the pack behind him. "The mine's just beyond the tree line," he told Junko.

Hamish dropped back to the rest of the group, telling them the same. Piper hurried to catch up to Junko with Stork right behind her. Finn glanced at Hamish and smirked, then ran ahead to catch up with the others.

As the two neared the tree line, Hamish moved ahead of Aerrow. A few moments later….

"WAH!"

Hamish turned around grinning. The others came walking up, snickering.

"Serves you right," Piper said.

Aerrow was now hanging upside down by his right foot from a tree.

Stork and Finn started to swing him, slightly.

Hamish walked up to him with Radarr on his shoulder, smiling. "Classic trapper's trick."

The Sky Knight folded his arms across his chest and glared. "I hate all of you."

Radarr poked him.

Aerrow scowled. "Especially you."

_et tu radarr_

Here in ABQ it is currently 8 below. With the windchill factored in, it feels like 25 below. Billy-Rex would love it.

Billy-Rex: Ya got that right, eh!

I think we only made it to 9 degrees today. Compared, tomorrow is going to be a blistering 26 degrees. Man, it's gonna be a hot one.


	4. Kicked Out

_My moncle is an unkey._

**Kicked-Out**

The director of the orphanage decided it would be a good day to take the kids to the beach.

One of the caretakers was sitting on a blanket, observing the kids and scenery when five year old Finn came running up to him and grabbed his hand.

"C'mon, Swift," Finn said, pulling on him. "I wanna show you something."

Swift got up and followed the little blond to the shoreline where another boy was standing over a dead seagull.

"What happened to him?" the other boy asked.

"Well, he died and went to heaven."

Finn thought for a moment. "Did God throw him back down?"

_my first thought_

Me: Sorry about the wait.

Finn: No, you're not.

Me: Shut up.


	5. Sympathetic Deluge

_...And a partridge on a Perry..._

**Sympathetic Deluge**

Each of his squad mates took a turn glaring at him.

"What?" he said innocently.

"I can't believe you did that, Finn," Piper growled.

"I can," Stork said under his breath.

Junko frowned. "You didn't _have_ to do _that_, Finn."

"He's right, Finn," Aerrow said. "That really wasn't necessary."

"Oh, come on, guys…."

Radarr chirruped angrily.

"They kicked us out of the arena." Piper glared at him. "Now we can't see the end of the game."

Stork smirked. "_If_ they get it cleaned up."

"Oh, come on…!" Finn folded his arms. "They were losing ten to two." Everyone glared at him. "It was a mercy flood."

_i think ace would be proud._

_speaking of ace…._

So...who would like to see what it might have been like if a teenage Ace met the current Storm Hawks? Anyone?


	6. Are You Sure That's A Good Idea?

_This episode is brought to you by..._**Stork!**

**Are You Sure That's A Good Idea?**

"Hey! Look what I found!"

Ace's shout murdered the silence around them, causing their carrier pilot to jump out of his skin.

"What did you manage to _inadvertently_ stumble upon this time, Ace?" Neysa drawled.

"Must you be sarcastic?" Ace said with a glare.

"Yes," she replied, shaking her head.

"What is that thing?" Rowan said.

Ace grimaced. "Some kind of box, I guess."

"Let's get it back to the _Condor_," Neysa said, taking it from Ace. "Maybe we can figure out what it is."

Phelan's eye twitched. "Are you _sure_ that's a good idea?"

_meanwhile_

"Hey! Look what I found!"

Finn's shout murdered the silence around them, causing their carrier pilot to jump out of his skin. _(Wait….Didn't we just do this?)_

"What did you manage to _inadvertently_ stumble upon this time, Finn?" Piper drawled.

"Must you be sarcastic?" Finn said with a glare.

"Yes," she replied, shaking her head.

"What is that thing?" Aerrow said. _(Okay, this definitely feels familiar.)_

Finn grimaced. "Some kind of box, I guess."

"Let's get it back to the _Condor_," Piper said, taking it from Finn. "Maybe we can figure out what it is."

Stork's eye twitched, suddenly feeling creeped out not only by this _thing_ but by the whole scenario itself. For some reason, he had a strange feeling of déjà vu. "Are you_ sure_ this is a good idea?" Oh, yeah…. Déjà vu.

_spoo-ooky…._

The Storm Hawks are about to find out that some things are better left alone. But that's never stopped them before.

Things may get just a little creepy.

Stork: A little?

Me: What?


	7. Button, The First

_button, button, who's got the button..._

**Button, The First**

"It's not doing anything," Ace said, staring at the box on the table.

"Good," Phelan said. "I don't want it to. It might do something horrible."

Ace grinned. "Then we'd have something to do."

Phelan stared at him. "There's something wrong with you."

"Yeah, whatever," Ace replied. "I'm going to the kitchen."

As Ace walked out, Rowan noticed a button of sorts on the side of the box. "I wonder what would happen."

Reaching for the button, Neyla suddenly yelled, "Rowan, don't you dare touch—"

_ooo…i wonder…_

This can't be good. Can it?

* * *

Yes, I'm finally updating. Next one will be up soon.


	8. Button, The Second

_Even if it had a warning label..._

**Button, The Second**

Finn tapped the box. _Nothing._ "This thing's boring."

"Would you stop poking it," Piper said.

"That's probably a very good idea," Stork said, his eye twitching. "Who knows what horrible thing could happen?"

Finn grimaced. "At least then it wouldn't be boring."

Stork stared at him. "There's something wrong with you."

"Whatever. I'm going to the kitchen."

Before Finn reached the bridge door, he heard Aerrow mumble something about a button on the box. He furrowed his brow, watching.

"I wonder what would happen," Aerrow said.

Finn shrugged to himself and headed out. He was only a few steps away when he heard Piper yell.

"Aerrow, don't you dare touch—"

Everything wobbled for a moment, like some kind of pulse rippling through the ship. But it was over soon enough. Finn shrugged and headed for the kitchen.

_and so it begins_

* * *

Next time, Finn meets Ace.

This would be a good series to start the "What The Frack Is Ace's Real Name" game. Much to Ace's chagrin.


	9. Someone's in the Kitchen

_SHHRRRIIIIMMMP!_

**Someone's In My Kitchen**

As he stepped into the kitchen, Ace noticed everything go wobbly. "Weird." And then it suddenly stopped. "Again I say _weird_."

He opened the fridge door, which had a crude drawing of Master Cyclonis on it, and pulled out a juice carton and a bowl of blueberries. Closing the door, he turned around.

* * *

Finn yawned as he stepped into the kitchen…and then stopped dead in his tracks. There was somebody else there, someone that didn't belong there.

* * *

Hearing Finn's girly-scream, the rest of the Storm Hawks, except Stork (surprise), ran to the kitchen. They stopped in the doorway. Standing in front of them (Finn had passed out), holding a juice carton and a bowl of blueberries was none other than….

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "Umm...who are you?"

_and so it begins_

What absurdities lie in wait, I wonder.


	10. The Dark Ace?

_i bask in the absurdity of it all._

**The Dark Ace?**

A raven-haired youth stared back at him. "Name's Aeryk," he said extending his hand. "You look like Red, but you're not Red." Ace eyed him. "So…you are?"

"The name's Aerrow."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Sure…I'll go with that."

"He looks like the Dark Ace," Junko whispered to Piper.

Ace turned back to the fridge. Seeing the crude drawing—that wasn't Master Cyclonis—he said, "Who's the crude dude?"

"That's the Dark Ace," Finn said, suddenly not unconscious and standing.

"The who?"

"You know," Finn continued, "you look like a younger version of him."

"Is that good or bad?"

"That depends," Piper answered.

Ace dropped the carton and bowl on the table. "And who is this lovely lady?" he said, approaching Piper.

"I'm Piper," the navigator said. "Pleased to meet you."

Ace knelt down on one knee and took her hand. "The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure," he replied, kissing her hand.

Piper blushed.

Finn smirked. "Oh, yeah. This guy is smooth."

_and incredibly, it's genuine_

Now I get to use my gag for Aerrow's name.


	11. Welcome to Our Condor

_Merb Salad does NOT have Merbs in it! Stop telling everyone it does!_

**Welcome to Our Condor**

"That's kinda funny," Junko said, turning Ace's attention away from Piper.

"What is?" Aerrow asked.

"Your names. They sound alike."

Finn mulled over their names. _Aerrow-Aeryk, Aeryk-Aerrow. _"Huh. Maybe Aerrow was named after him," he said to himself.

"How'd you get the name Ace?" Aerrow asked.

Ace grimaced. "Let's not go there."

Finn smirked. "Oh, I gotta find out about this."

"Don't even try," Ace said, glaring at Finn and pointing his finger at the blond's chest.

Ace suddenly felt something on his shoulders and head. And then something playing with his face. He let his arm drop to his side, but made no other movement while staring at Finn.

"That would be Radarr." Finn grinned. "Welcome to _our _Condor."

_some how i don't think there's much difference between condors_

Now it's time for Ace and Stork to meet.

Hold on to your butts.


	12. I Don't See It

_Hi, little friend._

**I Don't See It**

The door to the bridge opened. Stork's eye began to twitch, wondering (Stork was wondering, not his eye. Although, it was probably wondering, too.), what horrors were about to make themselves known.

"Hey, Stork," Aerrow said, causing the Merb to squeal.

"So," Stork said flatly, "what _horrors _(his eyes got all bulgy when he said "horrors") have you brought with you?'

"Just the Dark Ace," Finn answered nonchalantly.

The Merb cringed, eyes darting around (which wasn't helpful in the slightest since he was still staring out the window and everyone was behind him). "The Dark Ace?"

"Well, sort of," Junko said.

Stork turned around; scrutinizing his squad mates (He had to check for mindworms. Standard procedure after something weird happens.), and then this "new" person.

He inhaled deeply. And then exhaled (otherwise, he would have passed out). And then stood up straight, narrowing his eyes saying, "I don't see it."

_leave it to stork to ignore the obvious_

Sorry for the overdue update. Hopefully, my brain will begin to process more Storm Hawks related stuff.


	13. I Didn't Touch It

_When people ask me, "Crosby, how do you do it?" My answer is always, "Do what?"_

**I Didn't Touch It**

"Is he okay?" Ace asked.

"Yeah…this is actually normal for him," Finn answered.

"And I thought Phelan was weird."

"Must be a carrier pilot thing."

As Stork went back to his business of keeping a lookout for anything that may bring doom upon them, Piper spoke. "We need to figure out what happened."

"Well," Ace began, "I walked into the kitchen, everything was all wobbly, and then it suddenly stopped. I opened the fridge, got my stuff out, and when I turned around, Finn was standing there."  
"It must have something to do with that box."

Ace thought for a moment. "Weird carvings. Had a button on it."

"Exactly," Piper said. "Did you have one?"

"Yes. And this whole episode wasn't caused by me, because I didn't touch it."

"Or me," Finn threw in. "Thank you very much."

"Yes," Piper said. "This time it was Aerrow."

A sheepish grin crossed the Sky Knight's face.

Ace grimaced. "Must've been Rowan on my end." He paused. "Hmm…. I wonder what they're up to."

_completely freaking out, maybe_

**Yes, an update. I blame Phoenix and Farrel. You know who you are. And if you don't, just ask me and I'll tell you.**


	14. Box 1 Storm Hawks 0

_The aspect of the butterfly is that of a shovel in a broken toaster._

**Box 1 Storm Hawks 0**

Phelan was running around the bridge, screeching. Luke stared. How that man could hit those high notes was beyond him. Rowan had left the bridge twenty minutes ago, looking for Ace.

"I can't find Ace anywhere!" Rowan screeched, thundering onto the bridge.

_Well…this isn't good._

"Where could he have gone?" Phelan said in an abrupt mood change.

"I have no idea!"

Luke looked at his Sky Knight. "You can stop screeching."

"Sorry."

Phelan's eye twitched. "I bet it had something to do with that box."

"I told you not to touch it!" Neysa yelled at the grimacing redhead.

The blond (that would be Luke) sighed. "Box 1. Storm hawks 0."

_the end is near-er_

The Grand Poobah: Thhhppptt!

Me: I have no idea what that meant.

Farrel: I will find out! (runs off)

Me: Oh, yes. The madness has returned.


	15. FortyTwo

_HOOGYN-FLOOGYN!_

**Forty-Two**

"You know something that's fun to do," Ace said to Finn, after he had shown all of them hidden corners of the _Condor _that not even Stork knew about.

"What's that?"

"Next time you see Cyclonis, ask her, 'Who died and put you in charge?'"

Finn snickered.

"And any time she asks you a question, say, 'Forty-two'."

"I don't get it."

"Neither will she."

_forty-two_

Anyone know the reference?


	16. Banana Bungee

_Me: I'm baa-aack._

_Aerrow: It's about ti-ime._

_Me: Shush yer face._

**Banana Bungee**

Ace lay lazily on the flight deck of the _Condor_, staring over the edge into the jungle below. He really wanted some of those tasty bananas. Finn plopped down next to him.

"You know what would be really awesome," Ace said.

"What?"

"Bungee-jumping off the deck and getting those bananas."

Finn thought for a moment, then said excitedly, "That would be so awesome."

Ace grinned. "Let's do it."

Aerrow was walking onto the flight deck, looking for Finn and Ace when he heard them hollering. He walked over to the edge.

"What're you two doing?" he asked Ace who was seated on the deck next to a pile of fruit.

"Getting bananas."

A grin crossed Aerrow's face.

A few moments later it was Piper's turn to walk onto the deck and see the boys bungee-jumping for bananas. She rolled her eyes.

"Boys."

_Finn: Yer not dead! Yay!_

Yes, I am back. Let's see if my Storm Hawks peeps still like to review. I know they do cuz I still get them. Which is kinda freaky in a way.

Stork: Mindworms.

Me: And there it is.


	17. So Jealous

_Ford, you're turning into an infinite number of penguins._

**So Jealous**

"So, uh, Aerrow," Ace began, putting his arm around the Sky Knight's shoulder. "Piper's single, right?"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

"Just curious." They were silent for a moment. "You think she'd go out with me if I asked?"

"No," Aerrow answered a little too quickly.

"Don't tell me you like her like that."

"I don't."

Ace grinned wickedly.

"You better not doing anything," Aerrow growled.

He looked at Aerrow, appalled at the very idea. "I would never…."

"Good," the Sky Knight replied, walking away.

Ace smiled slyly. "I wonder how jealous you would be."

"He'd be so jealous," Finn said, appearing out of nowhere.

The two of them looked at each other and Ace said, "Time for the test."

_this can't be good._

Few things can be scarier than Ace and Finn collaborating on something.

Stork: We're doomed.

GIR: Doom doom doomy doom doom...

Stork: Help.


	18. Annette

_I wanna blow something up!_

**ANNETTE**

The group was on the bridge doing absolutely nothing. Or as Ace liked to call it "Shemping." No one knew what that meant. Well, they knew what it meant because Ace told them, but they couldn't figure out how he came up with it. Which was just as well.

"How about we play a game," Piper suggested.

"That sounds good," Aerrow threw in. "We're still on the terra. But what should we play?"

Radarr spotted the mini=catapult Ace had made a few days ago and waved it in front of Aerrow.

"Hey," the Sky Knight said, "if we had another one of these we could put a net between them and play catapult-badmitten or something."

"I can make another one," Ace said.

"So who's up for catapult-badmitten?" Aerrow asked.

"I am," Piper said.

"Me, too," Finn added.

Junko blinked. "Who's Annette?"

_i wonder if junko is related to buford_

Heh-heh. Phineas and Ferb joke. Couldn't resist.


End file.
